


Don't Forget to Smile!

by ImaginaryEngineer2 (TyrantorX)



Category: Little Witch Academia
Genre: F/F, Flangst?, I'm Not Dead Yet, Luna Nova in the Future, fluffy angst?, hi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-08
Updated: 2019-01-08
Packaged: 2019-10-06 17:28:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17349500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TyrantorX/pseuds/ImaginaryEngineer2
Summary: With greater magic comes greater foes. Diana and Akko are going to deal with the awakening of a Dark Paladin—A mage that’s been corrupted entirely by dark magic for the sake of everyone’s safety.





	Don't Forget to Smile!

**Author's Note:**

> FAST FORWARD TO 30 YO AKKO AND DIANA. Oh look, added a daughter, ya know, for the fluffs. Also, this is my supposed entry for Day 3: Laughter for last year’s Diakko Week but I've never posted it. But I liked how this turned out. So yeah. Enjoy.

“If it weren’t for your persistence, we wouldn’t be in such danger right now.”

“If I weren’t here, you would’ve been dead in your sleep.”

“Bold of you to assume they would be able to. The situation would’ve _still_ been handled properly.”

“They slipped past your detection magic, Diana. And _you_ set it up,” Akko stressing the last part, eyeing the back of Diana’s head with a furrowed brow. “And that’s on top of the MI6 patrolling the gates. Don’t ya think that spells danger enough?”

Diana’s miffed but she keeps quiet—Akko was _right_.  

Despite their attempts to keep to their plans, Akko—being her usual self—found a way to completely throw it right out the window. She’s missed her flight _intentionally_ amidst her demanding tour schedule (She argued that she would be able to get to her next destination on time, thanks to the Leylines.) Without warning, she left her crew members with the message _BRB FAM EMERGENCY._

Diana isn’t buying her decision one bit. A job is still a job despite the circumstances provided. What’s 3 months anyway? They could wait; Akko’s commitment to her fans should always come first. It’s one of the things Diana constantly reminds Akko to not take lightly. Besides, if it weren’t for her fans, she wouldn’t have been the world-wide phenomenon she was today.

And yet Akko still finds avenues to get exactly what she wants despite warnings, reasons and repercussions. The day of her flight, she hastily snuck away from her entire tour group and _ported_ straight to the Cavendish mansion, in the middle of the west parlor room. Although no one was there to see her appear, Diana walked in a few seconds later, stunned and speechless to find her wife, who was _supposed to be at the airport,_ sprawled over on the sofa after _not-so-gracefully_ crashed into it.

In Akko’s head, the day played out perfectly. They’d talk, _chill out and relax_ , and cuddle on their sofa or their bed, whichever they prefer. A month and a half is far too long to wait and she hoped that Diana felt the same way. She’s pictured it, Diana’s surprised enough that she’ll be swept off her feet. Akko would be showered with love, kisses and much more since she’s such a great wife—the best in fact. Diana would fall in love with her all over again.

This time, she swears, Diana’s going to have to fall for her again. Be, the least bit lovey-dovey once more. Akko’s missed the intimacy they’ve shared. Back when they took their oaths underneath the tree, when they got their promise runes inscribed on their ring fingers.

_Till Death do Us Part._

Things changed through time but she still remembers the feelings. And this night was her attempt at bring that back. Bring back the sweet, sickness-inducing affection they once had. Bring back the intense passion they once shared. Bring back the young _Diakko_ relationship they once experienced.

And their evening, she had it all planned out. Leave Bernadette with Anna. Fancy dinner. Flying through the Ley lines. Sneak into Luna Nova for that perfect view of the night sky from the school’s tower. To top it off, she also has a small gift for her—which she had securely in her back pocket.

Unfortunately, Diana had other plans.

With all the magical agenda coursing through the administration, Diana’s time was tied to a plethora of responsibilities. There was no time for play, no time to _unwind_. In this crisis that she’s facing, along with the other administrative heads, they always had to be on their toes. Death threats, political vendettas, and rumors of coup-de-etat’s were already rampant amongst the gossips at the Ministry. Anticipating the next move of the opposition, whoever they may be, was vital to their survival.

It was because of this that Diana sticks to her plans, no ifs and no buts.

It was no surprise that Akko’s change of plans were unwelcomed. But luckily, it was convenient.

They proceeded to go to their room, Diana with her endless lecture on Akko’s impulses and Akko convincing Diana that it was all in good thought. The both of them were too preoccupied with their little discourse that they failed to notice the slight sound of muffled screams in the next room. The footsteps on the roof and the carpets around them went unperceived. It was only when Akko glimpsed over Diana’s shoulder that she saw a hooded figure passing through one of the doorways; the one that led to their room.

She would’ve been asleep at that time. And if Akko didn’t arrive, she would’ve been dead.

Bullets ripped through the air, magic spells tearing through walls and columns as they both ran through their hallways, picking up their fast-asleep daughter and made a beeline towards the secret exit through the Cavendish Mansion’s sewer system. They were armed only with the wands in their belts, having no time to check on the other people in their mansion.

They were still making their way through these murky sewers, going on this little schematic Diana has memorized at the top of her head. The feint light illuminates just enough space to see a few meters ahead.

“This way.” She’s keeping her voice low, hoping that Akko’s listening but her attention not there. She’s instead preoccupied with the child strapped on Diana’s back.

“Kaa-san.” Their 3-year-old child strapped to the back of Diana woke up. Now, she’s reaching towards Akko, her stubby, little fingers extended, opening and closing in hopes to get her mother’s attention. Right now, she’s spritely, happy and wide-awake; the opposite of what both her mother’s expected her to be. “ _Kaa-san._ ”

“Shh Detta-chan. We have to be quiet.” Akko tries her best to keep the frightened toddler from crying out loud. She knows her daughter’s hungry. She’s knows she’s scared. “We’re gonna be alright in a while.” She flashes her a big smile, burying the feeling of dread pooling in her stomach to calm her daughter.

But she wouldn’t calm down. The interaction only made her giddy, now even extending her legs towards Akko. She’s distraught, couldn’t understand why her mom wouldn’t take her hug. “ _Kaa-san!_ ” She yells louder.

“Bernadette.” Diana warns, adjusting the sling on her shoulder as her daughter’s restlessly shifting at her back. “Stop moving around. _Mama’s_ having a difficult time.”

“Kaa-san.” She ignores Diana, still reaching her little hands towards Akko who was pacing slowly behind.

“Are we there yet?” Akko’s innocent question tested Diana’s patience.

“We’re near.” Her wife grunts. The tunnels were long and arduous. Taking care of 2 _children_ —an actual child and one that behaves like one—was getting on her nerves.  “I’d appreciate if you’d stop playing with her. You know how excitable she is and she keeps moving. It’s getting hard for me to carry her around.”

“First of all, I’m am not playing with her. I’m trying my best to calm her down.” Which wasn’t really her best efforts because still, Bernadette seems more flustered than calm. “If I didn’t then the bad guys will hear her. You know how loud she gets when she cries.”

“Well, she is _your daughter_.”

“Of course she is! Look how cute she is—” She stopped, finally understanding the implication behind Diana’s remark. “Wait a second, _hey_!”

A smirk forms on Diana’s lips. Even though she wasn’t one to badger, teasing Akko has never failed to light up her day. Through time, she’s found it quite enjoyable driving Akko crazy. A subconscious way of getting revenge for all the times Akko’s unintentionally crossed her line.

Akko’s already lost track of time and she’s getting impatient. It felt that they’ve been going down the same path for hours. Her disposition changed when she noticed that Diana had stopped abruptly. Diana closes her eyes for a second, knocking on the wall.

 _Its lighter than the rest,_ she remembers her mother. _It’s impossible to miss._

Akko’s definitely confused. She’s not familiar to why Diana’s doing this. In her head, maybe her wife’s gone a bit insane from all the work? She’s tapping on the stone bricks individually. She makes a mental note to bait Diana in a vacation if they are able to get out of this.

“What are you doing.”

“We’re here.”

There was no entrance where they stood; the same rushing water, the grey, craggy stone walls decked with slick muck, and the small, caged drain exit not too far ahead. How could they be _here_ when there’s nothing _here_?

“Are you sure?”

A final tap on the next brick had Diana feeling victorious. It definitely sounds light and much hollower than the rest. “Most definitely, we are,” Diana exclaimed.

“O...kay.”

“Kaa-san.”

“Akko, take her for a bit.” Diana slipped off a sling of the carrier as Akko took Bernadette in her arms. “Try not to agitate her.”

“When have I ever...? Why would you even think that?” Her brows furrowed. She wouldn’t agitate her own daughter, what in the world was Diana talking about?

The heiress had her hands on the walls beside them. She patted each brick lightly with the tip of her wand, to a rhythm that she’s memorized from years ago. She’s dreaded this moment, but there’s no other way out of this damn mansion given their circumstance.

The walls glow a feint white before the bricks shuffle and fold to expose a darkened room. Akko’s in awe, matching the expression painted on her daughter’s face—they’ve never seen anything like this before.

Akko squinted her eyes, eager to see what the hidden passage concealed but the light from the tip of Diana’s wand only illuminated a few distance ahead.

“ _Ignis Flamme.”_

The four torchlights mounted on the 4 walls of the room were set ablaze, giving off an orange illumination across the small room. There was nothing inside but dirt and debris, showing signs of deterioration. It doesn’t even look like the rooms been used in centuries. The only item in the room was a mirror, ragged, botched and broken. It was facing them as they entered the room.

Diana walks toward it, Akko with their daughter not far behind.

“We went all this way for _just a mirror_? Kinda disappointing.”

“It’s not _just a mirror._ An emergency escape. It’s one of many mirrors scattered across the mansion. I’m glad that this one still exists. To think that many years have passed, I’d didn’t expect that this mirror would’ve still be here.”

“So, this was a hunch? We went on a gut feel?”

“Yes. And we’re lucky.” Extremely lucky, in fact. She runs her hand over a familiar looking logo embossed on the top part of the frame. “If I recall correctly, this particular mirror will get us to Luna Nova. It’s connected to the observation deck or an office, _I think_.”

“Porting to school.” Akko reached out, her finger grazing across the surface of the mirror’s frame, her touch leaving a trail on the dusted, metal exterior. “This looks really old,” she commented. “You think Ms. Finnelan’s still there? I hope she’s not. I don’t want to see her. But then again, I wanna know what she looks like. Cause she looked old when we left school.” She continues to mull over. “ _So_ torn.”

“It would be best to focus on our next course of action rather than discussing what our former professor looks like.” Diana gave Akko a side eyed look.

Akko’s head tilts at the sight of the mirror. “I don’t think mirrors look like that. How’s that broken thing gonna function as a portal?” She took a shattered piece from the ground, handing it over to Diana. “This looks really, really banged up.”

“Give me a while, I’ll have to fix it before activating it.” Diana starts to piece it together, chanting repair spells to set the pieces in place. “This will take a while.”

In the middle of Diana reconstructing their only way out, they hear a faint crash echoing through the sewers that sent shivers down bot their spines. The enemy they’ve been running away from is getting closer to them. And at this rate, he’ll be able to catch up.

Akko’s impulsiveness takes over at the thought of it. “Leave me and take Bernadette.”

“That’s insane, Akko.”

“No, it’s not.”

“Akko.”

“Diana.”

“ _Atsuko_ , listen to me.”

“No, I won’t. I’m not listening to you.” For the first time in a long time, Akko’s dead serious. “Please, Diana listen to me. We make sacrifices for the people we love. I’m not taking any chances with Bernadette,” she pauses, looking into Diana’s distraught eyes. “Or you.”

“Not like this Akko.” Diana shakes her head. She’s not having any of this. The idea itself is nonsensical. “There must be anoth—”

“I know there is, but we don’t have enough time!” Akko interrupts, holding both Diana’s hands, tugging them downward. “Diana, we can beat the Dark Paladin… Warrior… Magic knight... or whatever Damian’s become! But you need time to get out of here. Get _Detta-chan_ out of here.”

“We can both do that!” She raised her voice unknowingly. The thought of Akko _staying behind_ to try to fight this monster shakes her to the core, but it doesn’t shake Akko’s immovable determination.

“The portal’s still open if we pass through it. Unless someone destroys it from here, that _freak’s_ going to follow us, putting everyone in danger. Are you sure you want that monster at Luna Nova?” Akko stood her ground. “I’m staying behind and destroying the mirror. That’s final.”

“Marvelous plan. Although I find something’s amiss.” Diana’s tone disappointed and sarcastic. “How are you going to get out of here?”

“That’s…” Akko’s voice trails, her mind drawing blank as she tries to figure out a way to get out of the sewers unscathed. Her face drops, an awkward goofy smile comes up as she scratched the side of her head. “I… really haven’t gotten that far yet. I probably will try my best though.”

“A better solution is that I stay behind while you and Bernadette escape. I know the sewers better than you and Dark Magic is a magic that I’m much more knowledgeable and familiar with.”

“That’s nice,” Akko smiles. “But I’m not part of the Magistrate and that plan isn’t as fool proof as you think it is. If your plan fails, there’s nothing I can do. But you? You’re the head of the Magistrate. _There’s definitely tons, like tons and tons more that you can._ ”

“This is no time to analyze _worth_.”

“And you said it yourself that there’s no beating this guy. If he gets to me, I’ll stall for time. _Trust me_. There’s so much more you can do like... Call for reinforcements! Uhm… Call in your strategists! Summon an army of the world’s greatest witches and wizards and more!” Akko made it sound like it as easy as she said that with so much enthusiasm. “You’re the best and I’m sure you could do all those things perfectly! Without missing a beat even!”

Diana still doesn’t buy Akko’s declaration.

“Besides,” Akko smiles again, taking Diana’s hand in her own. “The good guys always win in the end.”

“What about Bernadette?” She bargains desperately. “I can’t raise her alone.”

“There’s no _raising her_ if there’s _no world to be raised_ in, right.”

And her wife still didn’t agree to it. “No. There’s has to be another way.”

“We’re losing time.” There’s another crash that echoes through the sewers, this one sounding a bit louder than the first. “You have a world to save. A future to save! C’mon Diana please, for once listen to me!”

Diana let’s go of Akko’s hands, stepping away as she says, “I won’t stand for this. There’s has to be a better way.”

“Enough, Diana.” Akko’s starting to raise her voice, matching Diana’s own tone. “Ple—”

They’re both interrupted by the piercing sound of Bernadette crying. Akko instinct was to reach out to her, squatting on her calves as she wiped the tears off of her daughter’s cheek.

“Detta-chan, _calm down_.” They’ll have to continue their argument later, Bernadette comes first. And Akko knows exactly how to get her daughter to relax. She reaches out for her wand tucked on the right side of her belt, fumbling a bit before flicking it behind her back to keep it out of her daughter’s line of sight. “You’ll scare away the butterflies when you frown.”

And in that instant, a swarm of vibrant, teal butterflies emerged from above Akko, circling Bernadette, engulfing her in a small cyclone of butterflies. She’s lost in a tornado of butterflies, reaching out to the winged illusions surrounding her, giggling, smiling; running around a random path as she played along. It didn’t even look like she was about to cry.

And Akko made sure of that.

The little girl bumps into Diana’s legs, sending the butterflies surrounding Bernadette upward then perching on Diana’s head. Diana throws Akko a side eye glance, she knows Akko’s controlling those butterflies. Akko knew how to work her way around her daughter, much more so her wife.

And Diana forgives her. She scoops her daughter up, nearly almost toppling over. Bernadette’s wiggling, trying to reach for the butterflies now circling around Diana’s head. Diana almost let’s go of her, causing the both of them to laugh.

The sight before her made her insides all warm and fuzzy. Hearing them laugh as mother and daughter— _Detta-chan’s the perfect copy of Diana_ , Akko thinks to herself. From her looks up to her laugh, it made her heart swell. Their laughter echoing through this dark, murky tunnel was the only thing that kept Akko sane. It’s the only thing that made her feel strong in such dark times.

She had to protect that.

For better tomorrows. For brighter futures. There’s no way that she was going to let the future of this— _no_ —their little girl dim out. There’s no way that she’s allowing some run-of-the-mill, self-centered, egotistical mage jeopardize Bernadette’s future.

For her smile. For Diana’s. For their happiness and a solid chance to bring back peace across the country.

She approaches Diana, a small vibrant butterfly perched on her finger. She commands it, landing on her unsuspecting wife’s nose. Diana’s taken by surprised, momentarily crossed-eyed focusing on the butterfly on her nose.

“Please take care of Detta-chan.”

She hesitantly agrees. Akko’s right this time. Although it doesn’t seem like it, for once, Akko’s the logical one between the two of them. She puts Bernadette on the floor, letting her walk around as she does some final adjustments before she can reactivate the portal.

“This’ll only take a few more seconds,” she says, then faces the mirror to continue her work.

Bernadette’s gone far playing with the butterflies, almost reaching the other corner of the room chasing them.

“Detta, c’mere.” Akko calls her out and her daughter ambles over to her without question. She’s completely forgotten about the butterflies, her eyes looking straight towards Akko’s. Once she was close enough, Akko squats again on her calves and says, “It’ll be a long time until we see each other again, okay?”

The butterflies slowly fade as silence fills the air.

“Now, promise me you’ll take care of _Mama_ for me.” Akko’s fighting to keep a smile on her face. “Your _mama_ ’s got this nasty habit of _not taking care_ of herself. She’s always frowning like this.” An exaggerated frown and big eyes bring another bout of laughter from the little one, somewhat agreeing to the mocking image of Diana _frowning_ like that. “But I’ll let you in a little secret.” She whispers, her daughter leans in, one hand cupping her ear. “There’s nothing in this world that your _Mama_ loves more than being happy.”

Bernadette agrees by nodding her head earnestly.

“You make sure that your mama’s going to keep smiling, okay? You have to promise to keep making her laugh. If she isn’t, then...”

She takes the locket from her pocket, her supposed surprise for Diana and shows it to Bernadette.  

“Show her this.” She places the locket around her daughter’s neck, tucking it inside the little one’s shirt. “This has the magic to make your _mama_ smile! I’m sure of it.” She hovers a hand over it before smiling at Bernadette. “Just like you.”

She laughs in awe and Akko tries so hard to keep the tears from streaming down her own cheeks. Akko doesn’t know when she’ll be holding her again. Hear that bubbly, light laugh she adores. Pinch those fat, little cheeks. To see her again. And if worse comes to worst, she doesn’t know if she’ll be able to watch her grow up.

Bernadette sees through the facade Akko has. The little one stops giggling and reaches out to Akko’s cheeks. “You sad?”

“ _Kaa-san_ loves you so much.” Akko nuzzles her and hugs her one last time.

She stood proudly, taking Bernadette in her arms and slowly walks over to Diana. The mirror looks brand new, as if it wasn’t even broken in the first place.

“Until we meet again. Wherever and whenever that may b—.”

“I love you.” Diana says mournfully.

“I love you too,” Akko responds, keeping her smile. She kisses Diana firmly on the lips, her free hand holding Diana’s head, fingers weaving through blonde and teal locks. Once they separated, she added, “To the stars and back.”

Akko hands over Bernadette. And in one final wave, Diana activates the portal.

They cross over the mirror. It was exactly like a trip through the Leylines except without a broom. They were in a light green tunnel—the branches of Yggdrasil—travelling as fast as light itself. Diana held Bernadette tight in a hug, making sure she doesn’t lose her; this was definitely faster than flying through the Leylines on a broom. They pass similar areas, this path that Diana’s memorize at the top of her head. The Arcturus Forest, Blytonbury, and even the Rastavan ruins—that meant they were near. She’s afraid that her daughter might find travelling through a tight tunnel at an alarming pace would frighten the little one.

But Bernadette’s reaction was far from fear. Her eyes grew wider. The little one drew fascination from the bright lights surrounding them. She even tries to reach out but Diana held her little arms in place. That didn’t stop Bernadette’s curious eyes from looking around, taking in every bit of magical energy as some sort of entertainment.

Diana notices this and smiles. “You are indeed Akko’s daughter.”

The bright light at the end meant that they were nearing their destination.

In an instant, they were standing in front of Prof. Finnelan. She’s still on her office table, hounding piles and piles of paperwork.

Diana wastes no time. Her hands slammed against her former professor’s hardwood desk, causing the old lady to jump up in surprise. “Ms. Finnelan!”

“Diana!” She exclaims. “Mi lady,” she bows in honor. “What brin—”

“There’s no time. I have to get in touch with the Ministry. May I use your crystal ball?”

Without hesitation, Finnelan scurries over to the requested item and hands it over to Diana. She’s still confused as to why Diana’s standing in her office at this time of the night. The tone of urgency in her voice and in her actions send a hint of panic coursing through Finnelan’s veins.

“As I’m contacting the department heads of the ministry, contact every able professor, local and off shores to come to our aide. We need as much power and knowledge to fight back Damian.”

Many questions were now arising through the professor’s head. Who’s Damian? What is Diana running from? What are they up against that the strongest witch in Britain has fled with her tail between her legs? Is this dark magic? The dark magic that’s been prophesied since Magic’s Golden Ages?

But she knew the seriousness of the situation. Save those for later. Now, she had a bigger task on hand.

Bernadette follows her mother out to the observation deck. After chanting a spell, the orb levitates in front of her, bringing up several screens all at once. Ringing, ringing, the sounds reverberate through the deck. Although she’s not one to be impatient, she couldn’t help but think

Her leads pick up one after the other. She’s relieved.

“I’m keeping this short as we have only little time to react. I’ve escaped an assassination attempt by a Dark Paladin in my own home.”

“Is this Damian?” Sucy asks. “What a bastard. I told you that guy couldn't be trusted.”

“Yes. Currently, Akko’s holding him off until we get our forces to respond. We need to be agile in our actions. Everything will be explained once we have enough time but now, perform your assigned orders with precision.”

Diana’s channeling through 5 to 6 different members of the Ministry, ordering each without missing a beat. Through anyone’s eyes, it seems she’s already thought of this plan earlier.

“General Ulmerr, your fleet of dragon warriors need to surround our mansion in 15 minutes. How fast can you get there?”

“Ha!” He bellows, a bit arrogantly but it’s all in good faith. “Fifteen minutes? You think my dragons are slow? Expect my fleet in less than 10! Mordred, my boy, you heard the lady, let’s go!”

She smiles. _As expected,_ she thinks to herself. The Proud Leader of the Northern Dragons have never let her down.

“Ms. Hymes—”

“I’ll be waiting for Gen. Ulmerr’s fleet at your doorstep. We’ll try to suppress the mana in the area to keep Damien’s power at bay.”

“Alright. Should you need Professor Croix’s machines, I can make arrangements.”

“Nah.” Cool, calm and collected, as expected from the Head of the Ministry’s Modern Magic department. She starts to type on an off-screen keyboard, the sound of whirring and buzzing fills the air. “You don’t have to worry. I got you covered. Use her somewhere else. She’s great but I don’t need her.”

“Will—”

“Yih. Don’t worry about Ulmerr. I’ll make sure he doesn’t get _too excited_.”

“Thank you.”

Each of her Department’s head setting plans in action as soon as Diana issues her orders. Despite the time, she’s glad she has a capable team on her hands. She expects nothing less than a perfect execution from them.

“We’ll launch a counterattack against Damian once our magic fire power is sufficient enough to take him down. We’ll keep him sealed in the Cavendish mansion until reinforcements arrive. I’ve got Anne Finnelan contacting all available Magi within this area and overseas. I’ll update you on the timings once I’ve gotten affirmation from the other witches.”

“Should we fail?” One of her General’s ask, to which Diana replied with an insulted brow raise.

“Success is critical. This _monster of a man_ must be defeated.” She feels a tug on her side and without looking, her hand is instantly at the top of her daughter’s head, ruffling her blonde hair just like her own. That brought a small smile across the Magistrate’s face. “Our _future_ depends on it.”

She ends the call and right on cue, Professor Finnelan comes through the door.

“I’ve gotten most back up from the American, Asean, Russian and Japanese networks. They’ll be here in an hour, longest.”

She smiles. Finnelan sounded confident. That was enough to assure a strong reinforcement force.

“I’m still contacting China’s Witch network, that I’ll get back to you in a few minutes.”

Once Finnelan leaves, Diana’s left with only the sound of Bernadette’s shoes tapping on the grass. In this silence, Diana’s mind drifts back to Akko. She wants to go back and help. Go back to see if she’s doing fine. The option to leave Bernadette here was tempting.

“Mama?” Her daughter’s voice rang. As if on instinct, her hand floats over to her daughter’s head, catching a sight of her ring finger.

It was flashing a bright red. Now that she’s seen it, its tingling. The insignia around her finger is sending a tingling sensation. _Please Akko, please be safe,_ were her thoughts as she strokes her ring finger with her free hand. She wished she could talk to Akko, tell her that everything’s going according to plan.

It stabilizes, momentarily giving Diana relief.  

She’s still alive. The mark’s still there. She’s hanging on.

_C’mon Akko. Just a few more minutes. Help is on the way._

She’s takes Bernadette and runs inside, past the tables, past the doors. She’s looking for Finnelan. But even if she really needs to respond, she can’t leave Bernadette without anyone watching over her.

It was the longest _few_ minutes of her entire life. Every second felt like an hour, she didn’t even want to blink.

But the Nines’ weren’t smiling upon her this time. Finnelan’s not in sight. She’s not in her office or on the deck. No one was in the halls, not even the goblins.

Her eyes were on the glowing band around her finger, the flashes were getting weaker and weaker. After a brief moment, her greatest fear has realized. Her eyes widen in sadness, her chest starts to tighten and a lump in her throat forms as she witnesses the inscription flash one more time before steadily and slowly fading away. Fading until there’s only skin. Like the insignia was never there to begin with.

“No. No. No no. No no no no no…” She repeatedly mutters as she drops to her knees slowly. She continues to rub her finger in high hopes that the rune comes back. It took her a few seconds to finally believe that the rune was gone. “Akko…”

And even though Diana expected this, it has done nothing to dull the pain.

“I’m so, so, so, so sorry, my love,” she says under her breath, gripping her left hand close to her face. She keeps apologizing. There were many things racing through her head. This could’ve been prevented. There were other ways that she could’ve saved Akko. She should’ve seen the signs. She could’ve placed more guards. Stronger detection magic.

Something.

**_...Anything._ **

“Mama?” The small voice pulls her out of her trance. She doesn’t remember breaking out into a sob but her cheeks were wet with her eyes already red.

She hugs her daughter harder.

_You have to stay strong for us. For Detta-chan._

“Mama.” Diana’s interrupted by a small hand wiping the lone tear across her cheek. Her daughter looks at her, eyes wide, smiling. “C—Calm down.”

She smiles, a small yet sad giggle escapes her lips. She can’t let her daughter see her this way. So she sits on the floor, taking her daughter and sitting her comfortably on her lap.

Bernadette doesn’t stay still. She’s fidgeting, trying to get something from the inside of her shirt. Diana loosens her grip, giving Bernadette some space to finally grasp what she was struggling to get.

The gold chain goes over her head as removes it. Then, she bunches it together neatly before handing it to Diana.

It was a small, banged up locket.

“ _Kaa-san_ said to give to _Mama_ when she is sad.”

She takes it in her palm and opens it curiously. A picture of the three of them, smiling; Akko looking more like she’s laughing than grinning—Diana’s told her about being too excited during photos. Akko reasons out that she can’t help it, especially when she’s already reached _peak happiness._

On the other side, a small inscription is embossed.

_Don’t forget to smile!_

She hears it perfectly in Akko’s voice. She even hears the laugh right after the end of that phrase. And she responds with a laugh of her own, closing the locket as she did. “I will, Akko. Until we meet again,” she mutters, holding the locket tighter as she held it against her lips.

 


End file.
